flashpod 0.1.5__tar.gz
This diff represents the content of publicly available package versions that have been released to one of the supported registries. The information contained in this diff is provided for informational purposes only and reflects changes between package versions as they appear in their respective public registries.
- flashpod-0.1.5/LICENSE +21 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/PKG-INFO +317 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/README.md +287 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/__init__.py +7 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/__main__.py +8 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/cli.py +1660 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/contrib/99-flashpod-firewire-ipod.rules +9 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/fat32.py +387 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/fatfs.py +942 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/firmware/firmware.json +55 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/ipod_flash.py +643 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/itunesdb.py +330 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/platform/__init__.py +38 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/platform/base.py +223 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/platform/linux.py +154 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/platform/macos.py +241 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/platform/windows.py +240 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod/resources.py +43 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod.egg-info/PKG-INFO +317 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod.egg-info/SOURCES.txt +24 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod.egg-info/dependency_links.txt +1 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod.egg-info/entry_points.txt +2 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod.egg-info/requires.txt +1 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/flashpod.egg-info/top_level.txt +1 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/pyproject.toml +51 -0
- flashpod-0.1.5/setup.cfg +4 -0
flashpod-0.1.5/LICENSE
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MIT License
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Copyright (c) 2026 David Barnhart
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Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
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of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
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in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
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to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
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copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
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furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
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copies or substantial portions of the Software.
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
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IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
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FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
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AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
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LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
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OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
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SOFTWARE.
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flashpod-0.1.5/PKG-INFO
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Metadata-Version: 2.4
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Name: flashpod
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Version: 0.1.5
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Summary: Command-line iPod sync + card-flashing tooling for early FireWire-era iPods, pure Python
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Author: David Barnhart
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License-Expression: MIT
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Project-URL: Homepage, https://github.com/davidbarnhart/flashpod
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Project-URL: Issues, https://github.com/davidbarnhart/flashpod/issues
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Keywords: ipod,itunesdb,firmware,flash,compactflash
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Classifier: Development Status :: 4 - Beta
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Classifier: Environment :: Console
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Classifier: Intended Audience :: End Users/Desktop
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Classifier: Operating System :: POSIX :: Linux
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12
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Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13
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Classifier: Topic :: Multimedia :: Sound/Audio
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Classifier: Topic :: Utilities
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Requires-Python: >=3.6
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Description-Content-Type: text/markdown
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License-File: LICENSE
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Requires-Dist: mutagen
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Dynamic: license-file
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# flashpod
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flashpod is a command-line tool for putting flash storage cards into
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early-generation iPods and managing the music on them.
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It handles the whole setup without iTunes, so you can revive a vintage iPod
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and run it from a modern desktop: it writes the firmware to the card, creates
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the initial music database, and loads the card with music. Then, once you pop
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the card into an iPod and connect it over USB or FireWire, flashpod manages
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the library on the device too — adding and removing songs right on the iPod.
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## Requirements
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- **iPod:** Gen 1, 2, or 3 (tested successfully); Gen 4 should work but isn't
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tested yet. Later models (2007 and newer) aren't supported — they need an
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iTunesDB checksum/hash flashpod doesn't generate.
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- **Operating system:** Linux and macOS (tested). Windows has a backend but
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isn't tested yet.
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flashpod was originally written to run from a modern Linux desktop. The
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one-time flashing operation only needs a working USB card reader. For a 3rd- or
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4th-gen iPod, a modern machine can flash the card and manage the iPod. For a 1st-
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or 2nd-gen iPod, you can still flash the card from a modern machine, but you'll
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need a FireWire interface to manage the music on the iPod afterward.
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## FireWire
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A FireWire interface is a rarity these days. On a desktop, the easiest option
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is to add a FireWire card — Linux still supports FireWire well, so a Linux
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machine with a FireWire card lets flashpod manage a 1st- or 2nd-gen iPod.
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That's not the only option, though. Older Macs shipped with FireWire built in,
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and flashpod was deliberately written with as few external dependencies as
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possible — and against a relatively old Python — to stay runnable on vintage
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Mac hardware. It's been tested on a MacBook running OS X 10.8 so far. Since old
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Macs often can't get online, the macOS release can be copied to a USB drive on
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a modern machine and installed on the MacBook from there.
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## Install
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Download the archive for your OS from the
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[Releases page](https://github.com/davidbarnhart/flashpod/releases) — each holds
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a single self-contained executable (no Python or anything else to install).
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**Linux** (`flashpod-linux-x86_64.tar.gz`):
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```sh
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tar xzf flashpod-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
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cd flashpod-linux-x86_64
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./install.sh # to ~/.local/bin (no root); or: sudo ./install.sh
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flashpod --help
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```
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**Windows** (`flashpod-windows-x86_64.zip`): unzip it and run `flashpod.exe`
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from a terminal (an Administrator terminal for `flash`).
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The **Linux and Windows** builds don't bundle firmware — `flashpod flash`
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downloads the image you pick (verified by checksum), or you supply your own with
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`--firmware`. (The **macOS 10.8** build is different — see below.) Building the
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binaries yourself is documented in [BUILD.md](BUILD.md).
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**Vintage Macs (OS X 10.8):** use `flashpod-macos-10.8.tar.gz`. Extract it,
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then make the binary runnable and clear the Gatekeeper quarantine (it's unsigned):
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```sh
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tar xzf flashpod-macos-10.8.tar.gz && cd flashpod-macos-10.8
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chmod +x flashpod
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xattr -d com.apple.quarantine flashpod # or right-click → Open once
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./flashpod --help
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```
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> `flashpod flash` needs root. `sudo` uses root's PATH, so if `sudo flashpod`
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> isn't found, run it by full path — `sudo "$(command -v flashpod)" flash`, or
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> `cd` into the extracted folder and run `sudo ./flashpod flash`.
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## Typical workflow
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**Set the card up in a USB reader first — transfers are far faster there than
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over FireWire.** Flash it, then let flashpod initialize the database and load
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your music, all in one sitting:
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```sh
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sudo flashpod flash # flash firmware + format the card; then answer Y to
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# init the database, and Y to load your music onto it
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```
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Load the **bulk** of your library now, while the card is in the reader. Once the
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card is in the iPod, music transfers over FireWire are much slower — fine for a
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song or two, painful for a discography. So front-load it here.
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Now pop the card into the iPod and connect the iPod to your computer. flashpod
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finds it on its own — no mounting, no device paths, no `sudo` to type:
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```
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$ flashpod ls
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flashpod: looking for an iPod means reading attached disks, which needs root — elevating via sudo...
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Password:
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Found iPod on /dev/rdisk1 — 82 tracks.
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iPod "David's iPod": 38 tracks, 2 artists, 2 albums
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New Order
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Power, Corruption & Lies (8 tracks)
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Substance (12 tracks)
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The Cure
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Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (18 tracks)
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```
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Add or remove the odd track right on the device:
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```
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$ flashpod add ~/music/New\ Order\ -\ Blue\ Monday.mp3
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Found iPod on /dev/rdisk1 — 82 tracks.
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[1/1] Adding: Blue Monday — New Order... 100% (6.8/6.8 MiB)
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1 track added in 26s (6.8 MiB at 268 KiB/s)
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$ flashpod rm album Substance
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Found iPod on /dev/rdisk1 — 83 tracks.
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Removed: New Order - Ceremony
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Removed: New Order - Temptation
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…
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Removed 12 tracks
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```
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## Commands
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flashpod finds your iPod for you. With no flags, it uses one that's already
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mounted; otherwise it scans the attached disks and picks out the iPod by the
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iTunes database on it (no guessing from volume labels), then reads and writes it
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**directly over the raw device** with its own FAT driver — no OS mount required.
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That raw path is what lets flashpod manage an iPod the OS *can't* mount, like a
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flash-modded FireWire iPod on a Mac (macOS's read-ahead corrupts the boot
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sector, so it refuses the volume). Raw access needs root, so flashpod re-runs
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itself under sudo and prompts for your password — you never type `sudo`
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yourself.
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To skip detection, name the target explicitly — `--mount <path>` for a
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mountpoint or `--raw <device>` for a raw device (the data partition or the whole
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disk), before or after the subcommand. On Linux you can also just mount the iPod
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yourself and let flashpod find the mount. On a non-terminal, flashpod won't
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guess — pass one of these.
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All four library commands — `ls`, `add`, `rm`, `init` — work this way.
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### `flashpod ls` (alias: `flashpod list`)
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```
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$ flashpod ls # artist → album tree with track counts
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iPod "iPod": 68 tracks, 1 artists, 5 albums
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New Order
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Power, Corruption & Lies (8 tracks)
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Substance (12 tracks)
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$ flashpod ls all # same tree + every track (id, track no., duration)
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New Order
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Substance
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52 1. Ceremony 4:25
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53 2. Everything's Gone Green 5:31
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$ flashpod ls artist # flat per-artist track counts (or `artists`)
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$ flashpod ls album # flat per-album track counts (or `albums`)
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```
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Track ids shown by `ls all` are what `flashpod rm <id>` takes.
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### `flashpod add [path ...]`
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Add audio files and/or directories. Directories are scanned recursively in
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sorted order; macOS `._*` AppleDouble files and non-audio files are skipped.
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Recognized extensions: `.mp3 .m4a .m4b .aac .wav .aif .aiff`. Tags, duration,
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and bitrate are read automatically (mutagen).
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Files already on the iPod are skipped, so you can safely re-point `add` at an
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overlapping set — e.g. add a single, then later add the whole album folder
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that contains it, and only the new tracks are copied. A track is considered a
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duplicate when its size, duration, and title all match one already present
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(this also de-duplicates within a single batch). Re-encoded or re-tagged
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copies have a different size and are added as new.
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```
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$ flashpod add ~/music/Some\ Album # a directory
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$ flashpod add a.mp3 b.mp3 ~/music/More/ # mix files and directories
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$ flashpod add # no args: prompts, with tab completion
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```
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Progress is one line per track, shown in a scrolling 4-line window so a big
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batch doesn't flood the terminal history (when output is piped or redirected,
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every line is printed instead). Skips and failures stay visible above the
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window, are counted in the summary, and don't stop the batch:
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```
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[3/14] skipping ._cover.mp3: not a recognized audio file
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[4/14] skipping 01 Come Together.mp3: already on iPod
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[11/14] Adding: Pet Cemetery — Relic Pop... ⌝
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[12/14] Adding: Rarely Seen Violence — Relic Pop... | last 4 only;
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[13/14] Adding: Sister Sky — Relic Pop... | older lines scroll away
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[14/14] Adding: Thick as Thieves — Relic Pop... ⌟
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12 tracks added, 1 skipped (already on iPod), 1 failed in 1m02s
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```
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> **Adding over FireWire is slow** (~270 KiB/s — a hardware limit of these early
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> bridges, not something a setting can fix). For **bulk** loads, pull the card
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> into a USB reader and `add` over the normal mount — USB bypasses the bridge
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> and is far faster. Keep the raw FireWire path for quick incremental edits.
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### `flashpod rm`
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```
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$ flashpod rm 52 53 # by track id (see `flashpod ls all`)
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$ flashpod rm artist Relic Pop # every track by the artist
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$ flashpod rm album Thick As Thieves # every track in the album
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```
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Artist/album matching is case-insensitive exact match; multiword names need
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no quotes. `remove`, `delete`, and `erase` all work as synonyms for `rm`.
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**Removal is immediate — there is no confirmation prompt.**
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### `flashpod init [name]`
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Create the `iPod_Control` directory structure and an empty music database.
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Use on a freshly flashed/formatted card or after a wipe. Destroys any
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existing database, but not music files already in the `F##` folders.
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### `flashpod flash [/dev/sdX]`
|
|
252
|
+
|
|
253
|
+
Write the iPod firmware and partition layout to a CF/SD card. **Erases the
|
|
254
|
+
card.** Needs root (`sudo flashpod flash`).
|
|
255
|
+
|
|
256
|
+
```
|
|
257
|
+
$ sudo flashpod flash # interactive: pick from removable disks
|
|
258
|
+
$ sudo flashpod flash /dev/sdb # direct
|
|
259
|
+
$ flashpod flash /dev/sdb --dry-run # print the plan, write nothing (no root)
|
|
260
|
+
$ flashpod flash --self-test # validate layout logic, no hardware
|
|
261
|
+
```
|
|
262
|
+
|
|
263
|
+
**Firmware:** with no `--firmware`, an interactive chooser lists the images
|
|
264
|
+
from the bundled catalog (`flashpod/firmware/firmware.json`) by iPod
|
|
265
|
+
generation, version, and description (the default entry is preselected;
|
|
266
|
+
non-interactive runs use it outright). The chosen `.ipsw` is then **downloaded
|
|
267
|
+
from GitHub**, cached under `~/.cache/flashpod/`, and **verified against its
|
|
268
|
+
SHA-256** before use; later flashes reuse the cached copy (no network). The
|
|
269
|
+
images aren't bundled with flashpod — they're Apple's copyright, hosted as
|
|
270
|
+
[release assets](https://github.com/davidbarnhart/flashpod/releases/tag/firmware).
|
|
271
|
+
|
|
272
|
+
To use a firmware flashpod doesn't host (or to work fully offline), download
|
|
273
|
+
an `.ipsw` yourself and pass it with `--firmware <file>` — that path never
|
|
274
|
+
touches the network. To add an image to the catalog, upload it to the firmware
|
|
275
|
+
release and add a manifest entry (`file`, `url`/`base_url`, `sha256`,
|
|
276
|
+
`generation`, `version`, `description`).
|
|
277
|
+
|
|
278
|
+
Options:
|
|
279
|
+
|
|
280
|
+
| Flag | Meaning |
|
|
281
|
+
|------|---------|
|
|
282
|
+
| `--firmware <file>` | use a local `.ipsw` (bring-your-own; no download). Default: pick from the catalog and download it |
|
|
283
|
+
| `--yes` | skip the typed `ERASE sdX` confirmation |
|
|
284
|
+
| `--no-format` | don't format the data partition |
|
|
285
|
+
| `--dry-run` | show the plan only |
|
|
286
|
+
| `--self-test` | check layout-building logic and exit |
|
|
287
|
+
|
|
288
|
+
Safety: only removable/USB disks are offered, the disk backing the running
|
|
289
|
+
system is always refused, partition nodes (`/dev/sdb1`) are rejected, the
|
|
290
|
+
target is unmounted first, and an explicit typed confirmation is required.
|
|
291
|
+
After writing, the firmware region is read back and compared byte-for-byte
|
|
292
|
+
before the card is ejected. Cards larger than 128 GiB are capped at the
|
|
293
|
+
iPod's LBA28 addressing limit.
|
|
294
|
+
|
|
295
|
+
After a successful interactive flash, flashpod offers to run init on the new
|
|
296
|
+
card right away, and after that to load music onto it too — answer Y (the
|
|
297
|
+
default) to both and the card comes out of the flash step ready to play. The
|
|
298
|
+
offers are skipped for `--dry-run`, `--no-format`, and non-interactive runs.
|
|
299
|
+
|
|
300
|
+
|
|
301
|
+
## Notes
|
|
302
|
+
|
|
303
|
+
- Close Rhythmbox before syncing/ejecting — its libgpod plugin grabs the
|
|
304
|
+
iPod mount and blocks unmount.
|
|
305
|
+
- A batch `flashpod add` writes the database **once**, at the end — not per
|
|
306
|
+
track. If a batch is interrupted, you may be left with orphaned music files
|
|
307
|
+
but an unchanged database; just re-run the same `add` (files already present
|
|
308
|
+
are skipped).
|
|
309
|
+
- Don't trust `fsck.vfat` on iPod cards: dosfstools chokes on iPod boot
|
|
310
|
+
sectors that the kernel mounts fine.
|
|
311
|
+
|
|
312
|
+
## License
|
|
313
|
+
|
|
314
|
+
flashpod is released under the [MIT License](LICENSE). The firmware `.ipsw`
|
|
315
|
+
images that `flashpod flash` downloads are Apple's copyright, not covered by
|
|
316
|
+
that license and not part of this source tree — they are hosted separately for
|
|
317
|
+
convenience, and you may supply your own instead.
|
flashpod-0.1.5/README.md
ADDED
|
@@ -0,0 +1,287 @@
|
|
|
1
|
+
# flashpod
|
|
2
|
+
|
|
3
|
+
flashpod is a command-line tool for putting flash storage cards into
|
|
4
|
+
early-generation iPods and managing the music on them.
|
|
5
|
+
|
|
6
|
+
It handles the whole setup without iTunes, so you can revive a vintage iPod
|
|
7
|
+
and run it from a modern desktop: it writes the firmware to the card, creates
|
|
8
|
+
the initial music database, and loads the card with music. Then, once you pop
|
|
9
|
+
the card into an iPod and connect it over USB or FireWire, flashpod manages
|
|
10
|
+
the library on the device too — adding and removing songs right on the iPod.
|
|
11
|
+
|
|
12
|
+
## Requirements
|
|
13
|
+
|
|
14
|
+
- **iPod:** Gen 1, 2, or 3 (tested successfully); Gen 4 should work but isn't
|
|
15
|
+
tested yet. Later models (2007 and newer) aren't supported — they need an
|
|
16
|
+
iTunesDB checksum/hash flashpod doesn't generate.
|
|
17
|
+
- **Operating system:** Linux and macOS (tested). Windows has a backend but
|
|
18
|
+
isn't tested yet.
|
|
19
|
+
|
|
20
|
+
flashpod was originally written to run from a modern Linux desktop. The
|
|
21
|
+
one-time flashing operation only needs a working USB card reader. For a 3rd- or
|
|
22
|
+
4th-gen iPod, a modern machine can flash the card and manage the iPod. For a 1st-
|
|
23
|
+
or 2nd-gen iPod, you can still flash the card from a modern machine, but you'll
|
|
24
|
+
need a FireWire interface to manage the music on the iPod afterward.
|
|
25
|
+
|
|
26
|
+
## FireWire
|
|
27
|
+
|
|
28
|
+
A FireWire interface is a rarity these days. On a desktop, the easiest option
|
|
29
|
+
is to add a FireWire card — Linux still supports FireWire well, so a Linux
|
|
30
|
+
machine with a FireWire card lets flashpod manage a 1st- or 2nd-gen iPod.
|
|
31
|
+
|
|
32
|
+
That's not the only option, though. Older Macs shipped with FireWire built in,
|
|
33
|
+
and flashpod was deliberately written with as few external dependencies as
|
|
34
|
+
possible — and against a relatively old Python — to stay runnable on vintage
|
|
35
|
+
Mac hardware. It's been tested on a MacBook running OS X 10.8 so far. Since old
|
|
36
|
+
Macs often can't get online, the macOS release can be copied to a USB drive on
|
|
37
|
+
a modern machine and installed on the MacBook from there.
|
|
38
|
+
|
|
39
|
+
## Install
|
|
40
|
+
|
|
41
|
+
Download the archive for your OS from the
|
|
42
|
+
[Releases page](https://github.com/davidbarnhart/flashpod/releases) — each holds
|
|
43
|
+
a single self-contained executable (no Python or anything else to install).
|
|
44
|
+
|
|
45
|
+
**Linux** (`flashpod-linux-x86_64.tar.gz`):
|
|
46
|
+
```sh
|
|
47
|
+
tar xzf flashpod-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
|
|
48
|
+
cd flashpod-linux-x86_64
|
|
49
|
+
./install.sh # to ~/.local/bin (no root); or: sudo ./install.sh
|
|
50
|
+
flashpod --help
|
|
51
|
+
```
|
|
52
|
+
|
|
53
|
+
**Windows** (`flashpod-windows-x86_64.zip`): unzip it and run `flashpod.exe`
|
|
54
|
+
from a terminal (an Administrator terminal for `flash`).
|
|
55
|
+
|
|
56
|
+
The **Linux and Windows** builds don't bundle firmware — `flashpod flash`
|
|
57
|
+
downloads the image you pick (verified by checksum), or you supply your own with
|
|
58
|
+
`--firmware`. (The **macOS 10.8** build is different — see below.) Building the
|
|
59
|
+
binaries yourself is documented in [BUILD.md](BUILD.md).
|
|
60
|
+
|
|
61
|
+
**Vintage Macs (OS X 10.8):** use `flashpod-macos-10.8.tar.gz`. Extract it,
|
|
62
|
+
then make the binary runnable and clear the Gatekeeper quarantine (it's unsigned):
|
|
63
|
+
|
|
64
|
+
```sh
|
|
65
|
+
tar xzf flashpod-macos-10.8.tar.gz && cd flashpod-macos-10.8
|
|
66
|
+
chmod +x flashpod
|
|
67
|
+
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine flashpod # or right-click → Open once
|
|
68
|
+
./flashpod --help
|
|
69
|
+
```
|
|
70
|
+
|
|
71
|
+
> `flashpod flash` needs root. `sudo` uses root's PATH, so if `sudo flashpod`
|
|
72
|
+
> isn't found, run it by full path — `sudo "$(command -v flashpod)" flash`, or
|
|
73
|
+
> `cd` into the extracted folder and run `sudo ./flashpod flash`.
|
|
74
|
+
|
|
75
|
+
## Typical workflow
|
|
76
|
+
|
|
77
|
+
**Set the card up in a USB reader first — transfers are far faster there than
|
|
78
|
+
over FireWire.** Flash it, then let flashpod initialize the database and load
|
|
79
|
+
your music, all in one sitting:
|
|
80
|
+
|
|
81
|
+
```sh
|
|
82
|
+
sudo flashpod flash # flash firmware + format the card; then answer Y to
|
|
83
|
+
# init the database, and Y to load your music onto it
|
|
84
|
+
```
|
|
85
|
+
|
|
86
|
+
Load the **bulk** of your library now, while the card is in the reader. Once the
|
|
87
|
+
card is in the iPod, music transfers over FireWire are much slower — fine for a
|
|
88
|
+
song or two, painful for a discography. So front-load it here.
|
|
89
|
+
|
|
90
|
+
Now pop the card into the iPod and connect the iPod to your computer. flashpod
|
|
91
|
+
finds it on its own — no mounting, no device paths, no `sudo` to type:
|
|
92
|
+
|
|
93
|
+
```
|
|
94
|
+
$ flashpod ls
|
|
95
|
+
flashpod: looking for an iPod means reading attached disks, which needs root — elevating via sudo...
|
|
96
|
+
Password:
|
|
97
|
+
Found iPod on /dev/rdisk1 — 82 tracks.
|
|
98
|
+
iPod "David's iPod": 38 tracks, 2 artists, 2 albums
|
|
99
|
+
New Order
|
|
100
|
+
Power, Corruption & Lies (8 tracks)
|
|
101
|
+
Substance (12 tracks)
|
|
102
|
+
The Cure
|
|
103
|
+
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (18 tracks)
|
|
104
|
+
```
|
|
105
|
+
|
|
106
|
+
Add or remove the odd track right on the device:
|
|
107
|
+
|
|
108
|
+
```
|
|
109
|
+
$ flashpod add ~/music/New\ Order\ -\ Blue\ Monday.mp3
|
|
110
|
+
Found iPod on /dev/rdisk1 — 82 tracks.
|
|
111
|
+
[1/1] Adding: Blue Monday — New Order... 100% (6.8/6.8 MiB)
|
|
112
|
+
1 track added in 26s (6.8 MiB at 268 KiB/s)
|
|
113
|
+
|
|
114
|
+
$ flashpod rm album Substance
|
|
115
|
+
Found iPod on /dev/rdisk1 — 83 tracks.
|
|
116
|
+
Removed: New Order - Ceremony
|
|
117
|
+
Removed: New Order - Temptation
|
|
118
|
+
…
|
|
119
|
+
Removed 12 tracks
|
|
120
|
+
```
|
|
121
|
+
|
|
122
|
+
## Commands
|
|
123
|
+
|
|
124
|
+
flashpod finds your iPod for you. With no flags, it uses one that's already
|
|
125
|
+
mounted; otherwise it scans the attached disks and picks out the iPod by the
|
|
126
|
+
iTunes database on it (no guessing from volume labels), then reads and writes it
|
|
127
|
+
**directly over the raw device** with its own FAT driver — no OS mount required.
|
|
128
|
+
That raw path is what lets flashpod manage an iPod the OS *can't* mount, like a
|
|
129
|
+
flash-modded FireWire iPod on a Mac (macOS's read-ahead corrupts the boot
|
|
130
|
+
sector, so it refuses the volume). Raw access needs root, so flashpod re-runs
|
|
131
|
+
itself under sudo and prompts for your password — you never type `sudo`
|
|
132
|
+
yourself.
|
|
133
|
+
|
|
134
|
+
To skip detection, name the target explicitly — `--mount <path>` for a
|
|
135
|
+
mountpoint or `--raw <device>` for a raw device (the data partition or the whole
|
|
136
|
+
disk), before or after the subcommand. On Linux you can also just mount the iPod
|
|
137
|
+
yourself and let flashpod find the mount. On a non-terminal, flashpod won't
|
|
138
|
+
guess — pass one of these.
|
|
139
|
+
|
|
140
|
+
All four library commands — `ls`, `add`, `rm`, `init` — work this way.
|
|
141
|
+
|
|
142
|
+
### `flashpod ls` (alias: `flashpod list`)
|
|
143
|
+
|
|
144
|
+
```
|
|
145
|
+
$ flashpod ls # artist → album tree with track counts
|
|
146
|
+
iPod "iPod": 68 tracks, 1 artists, 5 albums
|
|
147
|
+
New Order
|
|
148
|
+
Power, Corruption & Lies (8 tracks)
|
|
149
|
+
Substance (12 tracks)
|
|
150
|
+
|
|
151
|
+
$ flashpod ls all # same tree + every track (id, track no., duration)
|
|
152
|
+
New Order
|
|
153
|
+
Substance
|
|
154
|
+
52 1. Ceremony 4:25
|
|
155
|
+
53 2. Everything's Gone Green 5:31
|
|
156
|
+
|
|
157
|
+
$ flashpod ls artist # flat per-artist track counts (or `artists`)
|
|
158
|
+
$ flashpod ls album # flat per-album track counts (or `albums`)
|
|
159
|
+
```
|
|
160
|
+
|
|
161
|
+
Track ids shown by `ls all` are what `flashpod rm <id>` takes.
|
|
162
|
+
|
|
163
|
+
### `flashpod add [path ...]`
|
|
164
|
+
|
|
165
|
+
Add audio files and/or directories. Directories are scanned recursively in
|
|
166
|
+
sorted order; macOS `._*` AppleDouble files and non-audio files are skipped.
|
|
167
|
+
Recognized extensions: `.mp3 .m4a .m4b .aac .wav .aif .aiff`. Tags, duration,
|
|
168
|
+
and bitrate are read automatically (mutagen).
|
|
169
|
+
|
|
170
|
+
Files already on the iPod are skipped, so you can safely re-point `add` at an
|
|
171
|
+
overlapping set — e.g. add a single, then later add the whole album folder
|
|
172
|
+
that contains it, and only the new tracks are copied. A track is considered a
|
|
173
|
+
duplicate when its size, duration, and title all match one already present
|
|
174
|
+
(this also de-duplicates within a single batch). Re-encoded or re-tagged
|
|
175
|
+
copies have a different size and are added as new.
|
|
176
|
+
|
|
177
|
+
```
|
|
178
|
+
$ flashpod add ~/music/Some\ Album # a directory
|
|
179
|
+
$ flashpod add a.mp3 b.mp3 ~/music/More/ # mix files and directories
|
|
180
|
+
$ flashpod add # no args: prompts, with tab completion
|
|
181
|
+
```
|
|
182
|
+
|
|
183
|
+
Progress is one line per track, shown in a scrolling 4-line window so a big
|
|
184
|
+
batch doesn't flood the terminal history (when output is piped or redirected,
|
|
185
|
+
every line is printed instead). Skips and failures stay visible above the
|
|
186
|
+
window, are counted in the summary, and don't stop the batch:
|
|
187
|
+
|
|
188
|
+
```
|
|
189
|
+
[3/14] skipping ._cover.mp3: not a recognized audio file
|
|
190
|
+
[4/14] skipping 01 Come Together.mp3: already on iPod
|
|
191
|
+
[11/14] Adding: Pet Cemetery — Relic Pop... ⌝
|
|
192
|
+
[12/14] Adding: Rarely Seen Violence — Relic Pop... | last 4 only;
|
|
193
|
+
[13/14] Adding: Sister Sky — Relic Pop... | older lines scroll away
|
|
194
|
+
[14/14] Adding: Thick as Thieves — Relic Pop... ⌟
|
|
195
|
+
12 tracks added, 1 skipped (already on iPod), 1 failed in 1m02s
|
|
196
|
+
```
|
|
197
|
+
|
|
198
|
+
> **Adding over FireWire is slow** (~270 KiB/s — a hardware limit of these early
|
|
199
|
+
> bridges, not something a setting can fix). For **bulk** loads, pull the card
|
|
200
|
+
> into a USB reader and `add` over the normal mount — USB bypasses the bridge
|
|
201
|
+
> and is far faster. Keep the raw FireWire path for quick incremental edits.
|
|
202
|
+
|
|
203
|
+
### `flashpod rm`
|
|
204
|
+
|
|
205
|
+
```
|
|
206
|
+
$ flashpod rm 52 53 # by track id (see `flashpod ls all`)
|
|
207
|
+
$ flashpod rm artist Relic Pop # every track by the artist
|
|
208
|
+
$ flashpod rm album Thick As Thieves # every track in the album
|
|
209
|
+
```
|
|
210
|
+
|
|
211
|
+
Artist/album matching is case-insensitive exact match; multiword names need
|
|
212
|
+
no quotes. `remove`, `delete`, and `erase` all work as synonyms for `rm`.
|
|
213
|
+
**Removal is immediate — there is no confirmation prompt.**
|
|
214
|
+
|
|
215
|
+
### `flashpod init [name]`
|
|
216
|
+
|
|
217
|
+
Create the `iPod_Control` directory structure and an empty music database.
|
|
218
|
+
Use on a freshly flashed/formatted card or after a wipe. Destroys any
|
|
219
|
+
existing database, but not music files already in the `F##` folders.
|
|
220
|
+
|
|
221
|
+
### `flashpod flash [/dev/sdX]`
|
|
222
|
+
|
|
223
|
+
Write the iPod firmware and partition layout to a CF/SD card. **Erases the
|
|
224
|
+
card.** Needs root (`sudo flashpod flash`).
|
|
225
|
+
|
|
226
|
+
```
|
|
227
|
+
$ sudo flashpod flash # interactive: pick from removable disks
|
|
228
|
+
$ sudo flashpod flash /dev/sdb # direct
|
|
229
|
+
$ flashpod flash /dev/sdb --dry-run # print the plan, write nothing (no root)
|
|
230
|
+
$ flashpod flash --self-test # validate layout logic, no hardware
|
|
231
|
+
```
|
|
232
|
+
|
|
233
|
+
**Firmware:** with no `--firmware`, an interactive chooser lists the images
|
|
234
|
+
from the bundled catalog (`flashpod/firmware/firmware.json`) by iPod
|
|
235
|
+
generation, version, and description (the default entry is preselected;
|
|
236
|
+
non-interactive runs use it outright). The chosen `.ipsw` is then **downloaded
|
|
237
|
+
from GitHub**, cached under `~/.cache/flashpod/`, and **verified against its
|
|
238
|
+
SHA-256** before use; later flashes reuse the cached copy (no network). The
|
|
239
|
+
images aren't bundled with flashpod — they're Apple's copyright, hosted as
|
|
240
|
+
[release assets](https://github.com/davidbarnhart/flashpod/releases/tag/firmware).
|
|
241
|
+
|
|
242
|
+
To use a firmware flashpod doesn't host (or to work fully offline), download
|
|
243
|
+
an `.ipsw` yourself and pass it with `--firmware <file>` — that path never
|
|
244
|
+
touches the network. To add an image to the catalog, upload it to the firmware
|
|
245
|
+
release and add a manifest entry (`file`, `url`/`base_url`, `sha256`,
|
|
246
|
+
`generation`, `version`, `description`).
|
|
247
|
+
|
|
248
|
+
Options:
|
|
249
|
+
|
|
250
|
+
| Flag | Meaning |
|
|
251
|
+
|------|---------|
|
|
252
|
+
| `--firmware <file>` | use a local `.ipsw` (bring-your-own; no download). Default: pick from the catalog and download it |
|
|
253
|
+
| `--yes` | skip the typed `ERASE sdX` confirmation |
|
|
254
|
+
| `--no-format` | don't format the data partition |
|
|
255
|
+
| `--dry-run` | show the plan only |
|
|
256
|
+
| `--self-test` | check layout-building logic and exit |
|
|
257
|
+
|
|
258
|
+
Safety: only removable/USB disks are offered, the disk backing the running
|
|
259
|
+
system is always refused, partition nodes (`/dev/sdb1`) are rejected, the
|
|
260
|
+
target is unmounted first, and an explicit typed confirmation is required.
|
|
261
|
+
After writing, the firmware region is read back and compared byte-for-byte
|
|
262
|
+
before the card is ejected. Cards larger than 128 GiB are capped at the
|
|
263
|
+
iPod's LBA28 addressing limit.
|
|
264
|
+
|
|
265
|
+
After a successful interactive flash, flashpod offers to run init on the new
|
|
266
|
+
card right away, and after that to load music onto it too — answer Y (the
|
|
267
|
+
default) to both and the card comes out of the flash step ready to play. The
|
|
268
|
+
offers are skipped for `--dry-run`, `--no-format`, and non-interactive runs.
|
|
269
|
+
|
|
270
|
+
|
|
271
|
+
## Notes
|
|
272
|
+
|
|
273
|
+
- Close Rhythmbox before syncing/ejecting — its libgpod plugin grabs the
|
|
274
|
+
iPod mount and blocks unmount.
|
|
275
|
+
- A batch `flashpod add` writes the database **once**, at the end — not per
|
|
276
|
+
track. If a batch is interrupted, you may be left with orphaned music files
|
|
277
|
+
but an unchanged database; just re-run the same `add` (files already present
|
|
278
|
+
are skipped).
|
|
279
|
+
- Don't trust `fsck.vfat` on iPod cards: dosfstools chokes on iPod boot
|
|
280
|
+
sectors that the kernel mounts fine.
|
|
281
|
+
|
|
282
|
+
## License
|
|
283
|
+
|
|
284
|
+
flashpod is released under the [MIT License](LICENSE). The firmware `.ipsw`
|
|
285
|
+
images that `flashpod flash` downloads are Apple's copyright, not covered by
|
|
286
|
+
that license and not part of this source tree — they are hosted separately for
|
|
287
|
+
convenience, and you may supply your own instead.
|